Tonight, Finland kicked off its televised selection for the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest with the first semi final being held. Four songs were presented and two were chosen by televoting to move forward to the national final on 31st January. The third and fourth placed song will get another chance to qualify on 31st January, before the actual national final.

The following songs made it to the final:

• Tapani Kansa – Rakkautta on, rauhaa ei – 37.4%
• Kwan – 10 000 light years – 31.9%

The following songs enter the second chance round:

• Riikka – Meren
• Tiara – Manala

esctoday.com poll results

The esctoday.com poll held before the show reveals that the televoters partly agreed with the voters on this site: Kwan were the runaway poll leaders with 63.2% of the votes and made to the final finishing second. However, Riika, who finished second in the poll with 21.1% will have to enter the second chance round while Tapani Kansa came third in the poll with 7.8% but won this semi final.

Finland was represented in 2008 by the group Teräsbetoni who finished 22nd in the final in Belgrade with Missä miehet ratsastaa.